2007 ANNUAL REPORT Part 1.cdr - Kootenai County Sheriff Office

Special Teams
Field Training Evaluation Program
The Patrol Division's Field Training and Evaluation Program (FT&EP) is often referred to as the
backbone of the department. This is due to the importance of producing a highly trained deputy
that can work autonomously.
Every patrol deputy that is hired attends the ten week POST Academy. Upon their return, the
trainee(s) then attend a three week in-service academy, taught by the Field Training Officers
(FTO). Once they successfully complete the in-service academy, the trainee is assigned a FTO.
The training with the FTO's is a 15 week, intensive on the job training. The 15 weeks are broken
into three phases of training, where the trainee is assigned a different trainer for each of the
phases. Once they successfully complete the 15 week training, the trainee is then observed by a
trainer over a two-week period to ensure he/she is able to work effectively.
There are currently seven patrol deputies assigned as Field Training Officers. They are
supervised by three patrol sergeants. In 2007, thirteen deputies were hired and trained through
the FT&EP. Out of the thirteen deputies, only one left the program prior to completion. In addition
to training the newly hired deputies, the FTO's are also tasked with training Animal Control
Officers, Civilian Report Takers and Reserve Deputies.
Crowd Control Team
The Kootenai County Sheriff's Department Crowd Control Team is
comprised of three sergeants and ten deputies that can respond to
public disturbances throughout Kootenai County. The team has
received specialized training in crowd psychology, crowd control
tactics, K9 deployments, less lethal munitions, hostage/officer
rescue situations and gas deployment.
The team requires and wears special protective equipment, such as
chest protectors, shin protectors, helmets and arm pads. The team
is also equipped with both expandable batons and with three foot
long straight batons.
During the year of 2007, two of the sergeants and the ten members assisted the Coeur d'Alene
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Police Department with the 4 of July deployment in downtown Coeur d'Alene, as they have done
in years past. This created a united police presence in the downtown area during the daylight
hours, enough so that when darkness fell, it kept the disturbances in the downtown area to a
minimum. This type of a deterrent is an excellent example of pro-active law enforcement.
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In fact just prior to the 4 of July deployment, there was an equipment upgrade and the team
received new and updated helmets, which provide ballistic protection, compared to the older
motorcycle helmets that had been used in previous years.
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Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department Annual Report